Vixia HF S100 problem

[Wilson Campbell]

I have a HF S100 and have been using it regularly for the past year and a half with no issues what so ever.

On a recent trip I packed the camera like I do every day and when we got to our destination it would not run correctly.

When I would turn it on, the camera would power on, lens cover would open, and the screen would flicker, but there would be no image displayed nor would it allow me to capture video or images. Also when I went to turn the camera off, I was unable to. I then disconnected the battery and turned it on by hitting the playback button on the flip-out screen and was able to view the contents on the card in the camera and it seemed to function properly. When I hit the playback button to toggle to record mode, the screen went blank again and I was unable to record anything.

I am at a loss right now and at this moment it is my only camera that I have to film with.

I tried calling Canon customer support and the want nearly $300 just to look at it. I do not have the money or the time to send it off right now.

Has anyone had this happen before or might know how to alleviate this problem?

Any help is appreciated.

~Wil Campbell

[Jeff Harper]

For lack of any other ideas, I would ask if your battery is genuine Canon or generic.

Otherwise, I would try a reset to factory settings while the camera is connected to the AC adapter, if there is such a button. If not, google around and try to find out the button combination that causes a reset to factory settings. Some cameras require pushing two specific buttons simultaneously to achieve this, and it is often not made public knowledge how to do this.

Good luck.

[Mark Goodsell]

Sorry to hear about your issue. At least you can feel good that the malfunction wasn't caused through carelessness, like a drop on the sidewalk, or a big splash of water (like my old cam). Couple things:

1) Jeff is right on with the 'reset' idea. You might get lucky and it'll resolve your problem. Mostlikely not, but you never know. Your manual should describe how to reset the camera.

2) Trying a different battery is a good idea, even try a different card, if you haven't already. I've always used aftermarket batteries in my Canon cams and never had problems, including right now I'm using Wasabi batteries (Amazon.com) in my XA10.

3) Canon Repair Quote - Generally, Canon quotes a price to 'REPAIR' the camera, figuring the most common problems. So, that number they gave you was probably the repair, plus return shipping (~$20). They ultimately don't charge your card until they determine the final price and you authorize the work (usually a week after you send it in). It's actually not a price when you think of it. My Canon HV30 crapped out a few months ago prior to a shooting event and I sent it to Canon for repairs. According to them, there was a bad board and the LCD looks to have been replaced too as it came back completely scratch-free. It was $230 as quoted. In the meantime, I bought the XA10 though. They may offer you a customer loyalty upgrade program, but I found that I could buy a camera off their 'refurbished' site for the same amount as the 'loyalty' program so I didn't do it.

If you think you want to go a different route with a camera, don't forget to check out Canon's refurbished site and B&H's 'returns and open box' section.

[Don Palomaki]

See page 84 of the manual. Reset button is under the LCD, upper left corner. Be sure you have a good battery, or try power from A/C power supply if you can. Also be sure hte memory card is known to be good and formatted for use in the Canon.

If none of that works, may be time for it to visit Canon repair, or consider replacing it if out of warranty and the repair cost is too steep.